Forging a new future
by Archnila
Summary: When team RWBY finds a Faunus unlike any normal Faunus in the Emerald Forest, things start to take a turn for better or worse. How will they respond to these changes that may very well affect the balance of the world they know?
1. The blue comet

"Crap! We have to go now Gareth! They're getting closer!"

The sound of boots clacking against the stony pavement broke the silence of the night. A hooded figure running through the streets. It was not her lucky day. She shivered as the cool night air brushed against her face. She held her cloak closer as she continued to run. Upon reaching a dead-end, she glanced from side to side, clutching Gareth closer. "Can't run anymore little girl, your pet lizard belongs to us now." The bigger sized thug stood out, flicking his switch blade at her. The other three snickered. "Go get her boss!" "Yeah boss. Show her!"br /br /Wilma wrapped her arms tightly around Gareth's body. His spikes sticking out while his wings were spread out. "You guys don't want to mess with me..." As she spoke, her hazel eyes glowed slightly. She inhaled till her cheeks puffed up and was about to exhale, when suddenly, there was a slight tremor.

She lost her balance and blue fire dissipated into the air. Gareth slipped from her embrace as she swung her arms backwards to break her fall. She braced herself for the impact but instead, a hole opened up from below. It seemed as if time slowed down and instead of meeting the cold wet and stony pavement, she felt herself floating. But when she opened her eyes, she was in a different place, she looked below her and saw trees.

"Arghh!"

She soon accelerated towards the ground. She closed her eyes and concentrated, soon enough, blue fire engulfed her as she hurtled towards the ground with Gareth flying by her side.

**A/N UPDATE That was quite the teaser huh?**

**This was an idea I had in my mind for quite some time. So yeah, hate it, like it. It's up to you on what you do. Review if you want to. I'm fine with anything. The internet is the internet. **


	2. Game changer

**A/N RWBY characters don't belong to me. Wilma and Gareth do. Yada yadah. Usual disclaimer every fanfiction writer has to do. Well, on with the story!**

The Deathstalker was aiming its stinger at the eight of them. Its pinchers pinching the air menacingly. Team RWBY and Team JNPR were getting ready to fight it but out of the blue, something fell from the sky and landed on the Deathstalker's back.

"What was that!" Yang exclaimed as all of them held their ground except for Jaune, who got tossed into a tree from the sudden shock wave.  
>"Oof!"<p>

When the dust settled, Ruby stepped closer to the Deathstalker. While Pyrrha helped get Jaune back to his feet. Ruby gasped. It was the unconscious form of a human. Before Ruby could pick up the figure, Yang backed into her.

"Uh, Ruby, I think we should get that person out of here quickly. There's a pack of beowolves surrounding us. "

True enough, the pack of beowolves slowly encircled them. They readied their weapons as the beowolves snarled at them. One of the beowolf was about to pounce on Rin but he managed to dispatch it. The rest of the gang quickly made short work of the beowolves. When the fight was over, the wasted bodies of the beowolves decorated the Emerald forest. Black among the green.

Ruby's stomach grumbled. She looked at the rest sheepishly. "Guess it's time to head back to Beacon. But before that, we need to bring that person back to Beacon. The Emerald forest is a dangerous place after all. " Ruby motioned to Yang while she supported one side of the figure with her shoulders. They both dragged the figure back to the meeting point at a clearing where there were two Bullheads waiting for them. Team RWBY bade farewell to team JNPR as they boarded their respective transport back. " See ya guys back at Beacon!" Nora waved and shouted. Rin sighed at Nora's usual antics.

During the entire fight, Gareth hid in the trees. Understanding that he couldn't be seen. For now until she was better. He flew from his perch as he shadowed the people entering the weird looking bird. "Wilma will know what it is. " He thought to himself as he followed it from a safe distance.

Meanwhile, in the Bullhead, Wilma slowly regained her consciousness. Groaning in pain, she tried to sit up but Ruby held her down gently. Her hood slipped off her head while her caramel coloured hair was dishevelled. Ruby gave a gasp of surprised. Blake looked up from her book and her eyes widened.

"Must be one of those careless Faunus who got lost. " Weiss scoffed as she realised that there was a Faunus in her midst. Blake narrowed her eyes at Weiss. "What did I say? It's not like you're one of them right?" Blake got up from her seat but Ruby managed to stop her. She looked at Ruby hesitantly but complied. Blake grumbled under her breath and continued reading her book.

"Ugh...where am I? Am I dead?" Wilma scratched her head as she spoke. Her eyes darting from side to side. "And who are you people?" Wilma narrowed her eyes. Ruby quickly introduced everyone.

"...and that person there is my sister, well half-sister, Yang. While over there is the ice queen Weiss Schnee. "

"Hey! I'm not an ice queen! I'm n-nice alright. I just don't feel like being nice all the time. "

Yang chuckled at Weiss's remark while Blake rolled her eyes. After a few minutes later, the pilot made an announcement.

"All right ladies! We're almost there. Get ready for landing. "

"Great! I can't wait to go to the library!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Lunch time first!" Ruby rebutted. "All right, all right. We eat lunch first. " Weiss sighed. Ruby pumped her fists into the air. Wilma agreed. She was quite famished and her mana was low too.


	3. Another anomaly

Upon reaching Beacon, Wilma apologised for not introducing herself and did so. Ruby brushed it off and escorted her to the infirmary. Wilma thanked her but declined. She was feeling fine. Ruby insisted as she gently pushed her through the door.  
>"You fell from the sky and you're fine? Not on my watch! The impact was enough to kill that Deathstalker and you're telling me that you're fine? Why, your bones must have been broken! Even though you're a Faunus, no one could have survived that fall. "Ruby continued to nag at her until she sighed.<p>

"Fine...what's with all this fuss about a 'Faunus'? I don't get it. "

Weiss rolled her eyes and pointed to Wilma's horns and pointed to herself." You have horns, I don't have horns. That makes you a Faunus. "

"What? That doesn't even make sense..." Weiss face palmed. She sighed. "I'll show you what I mean later at the library. "

"What's up with her?"

"...She doesn't really like the Faunus. "Blake quietly answered Wilma's question.

Wilma shrugged her shoulders as she followed the nurse into the room.

Meanwhile, Gareth was flying frantically around the school. Searching high and low for Wilma.

"Well, it looks like your bones are not broken after all. You aura must have protected you from the fall. I'm impressed. The readings are unlike anything I've seen. But you need to rest alright? If you are feeling unwell, just come and see me again. "The nurse jotted down some notes on her clipboard and motioned Wilma to sit up from the bed.

Wilma thanked her and soon joined the rest of the girls. Blake crossed her arms and asked her. "So? What did she say?"

"Well, she mentioned that I healed pretty quickly and my bones are not broken at all. Hey, the nurse mentioned aura? What the heck is that? Is it something like mana? I guess I'll find my answers from the library. "

She sighed. She had too many questions to ask but was somehow relieved to be safe.

"Well? Let's go get lunch!" Ruby grabbed Wilma's hand and dragged her to the canteen. Yang chuckled. Nothing stops Ruby from her food. As they walked through the hallway, Wilma stopped.

"What's wrong? Aren't you hungry?" Ruby looked at her quizzically.

Wilma nodded and scratched her head. "I feel as if I forgot something very important. But I just can't remember what it was. I think it was cerulean blue and about this size?" Wilma motioned with her hands gesturing the size of the object to the equivalent of a small cat. The girls were surprised. There was no object of that size on her when they found her unconscious form.

Nevertheless, they found an empty table in the canteen and sat down. Wilma ate the extra sandwich that Blake had offered her. She took a bite and it was tuna. "Tuna! My favourite, especially when it's freshly caught! It reminds me of the time when I went fishing and almost got caught by some fishermen. Thank goodness I scared them well. Those were the days!"  
>The girls were stunned. Blake coughed. "And how exactly did you go fishing if I may ask?"<p>

Wilma swallowed the rest of her sandwich and nonchalantly told Blake that she dived into the oceans to fish. Blake was impressed. Looks like I may be able to get along with her just fine.

Ruby continued to ponder about the object when suddenly, a small blue blur came hurtling towards them. People saw it and quickly ran. Wilma continued chatting with Blake, fascinated about Blake's mini pro Faunus speech, she was glad that in this world she wasn't considered to be too much of a freak. Ruby, Yang and Weiss shouted to Wilma and Blake but Wilma didn't notice it until it was too late. Blake quickly moved to the side as it seemed that it was heading for Wilma only.

Wilma's face met with the leathery hide of said object. It began chirping and mewing and looked as if it was bawling. Wilma gently pried it off her face and placed it on her lap. "Gareth?" She clapped her hands. "That's right! I was with you! I'm so sorry that I forgot about you. It must have slipped my mind. Hehe…" Wilma grinned sheepishly. Gareth snorted as little swirls of smoke rose from his nostrils. The girls were petrified. Weiss held onto Ruby's shoulders as she backed away from Wilma. Quivering in fear, she slowly extended her finger at the Gareth. "W-what the heck is that?! I-is that a dragon?! I thought they were extinct. "

Gareth turned his head and looked at Weiss and looked up at Wilma. "By the look on her face, it seems that she's afraid of me. "Wilma giggled. "Looks like it Gareth. I'm sorry that I forgot about you. "Wilma smiled sheepishly. Gareth snorted, smoke rising from his nostrils. Ruby gently pushed Weiss off her and looked at Gareth carefully. Her eyes widened in recognition. "Is that what you forgot? I thought it was a weapon. Bummer. "Ruby bit her lips.

Yang laughed at Ruby. "So that's a dragon huh? How cute. May I touch him?" Gareth hissed, his spikes rising but Wilma told him that she was a friend. Gareth narrowed his eyes and relaxed as he got off Wilma's lap and cautiously walked towards Yang on the table. His talons making a clicking sound.

He tilted his head at Yang. Yang gently lowered her hand on his head and petted him. He purred in delight. Wow, it's not that bad after all. "So you can actually understand what he's saying? That's so cool!" Ruby's eyes seemed to twinkle.

Blake checked her scroll and poked Ruby on her shoulder, snapping her out from her reverie. "Guys, Professor Ozpin wants us in his office like now."

Yang groaned. "Just when I was thinking of punching some dummies..."

"Fine with me, I'll take Wilma to the library later I suppose." Weiss shrugged her shoulders. Ruby gulped. Was she in trouble for bringing Wilma to Beacon?

The girls cleared their trays while Gareth perched himself on Wilma's shoulders. They soon made their way to Professor Ozpin's office.


	4. The Proposition

**In Ozpin's office**

"Welcome to Beacon. I am Professor Ozpin and this is Glynda Goodwitch. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Wilma. You may wait for me outside girls." Team RWBY acknowledged him and closed the door as they patiently waited. He stood up from his chair and shook her hand and the blonde haired lady standing in front of his desk shook Wilma's hand as well.

"Anyone is welcome to my school. Even Faunus. I have heard that you don't come from this world and that you fell from the sky? "He crossed his arms as he faced the window.

Wilma grinned sheepishly. "Yeah...haha. I'm fine though. That wasn't too bad. I've been in worse situations than that." Gareth chirped in agreement.

Glynda adjusted her glasses and raised her eyebrows. "You are a very interesting Faunus, and what do we have here?" Wilma shrank as she felt Glynda's dominating stare inspect her whole being. As Glynda completed a full circle around her, Wilma cleared her throat and pointed to Gareth. "This is my companion and he is a shoulder dragon. He doesn't get any bigger than this."

"Fascinating. Please have a seat. I understand that you may not want to tell me about where you came from. But I would like to make an offer. Attend Beacon and become a huntress. That is the least I can do since you don't have anywhere else to go. Even though I don't know how safe your world is, at least you would be accepted here despite your status as a Faunus. Aside from the Grimm, this world is quite safe due to the hard work of the Huntresses and Hunters keeping them at bay. I will give you time to think about it. Let me know if you will accept my offer." Ozpin turned to face Wilma again as he sat back down on his chair. His fingers were interlocked while his elbows were rested on his desk.

Wilma looked down at Gareth who had somehow made his way down to her lap during the conversation. She began to stroke his head as she replied. "That's a very kind offer sir, I think I will have to accept it since I don't really have much of a choice do I? Besides, I don't know anyone else besides Ruby and her teammates and going back to my world looks like it would be impossible. It's not safe for us there anymore. There are people looking for us…"

"Excellent. For now, you may wear your own clothes. I shall supply you with the uniforms later and a small allowance for now. Here is a scroll as well. It's a very handy gadget that everyone uses." He passed her some money and a white object that looked like a small plastic scroll.

"Wow. Thanks so much. I won't let you down sir." Wilma pocketed the items into her knapsack. She bowed her head down slightly and left the room.

"That girl's aura is quite intriguing. It's like she doesn't have any but at the same time, the traces of aura that she has is quite powerful. Almost as powerful as a Grimm's aura, or maybe even stronger. This may be the beginning of a new future. "

"Indeed Ozpin. Her aura also seems unlike any typical Faunus. It feels ancient. I will have to keep a keen eye on her. "

"Thank you Glynda." Ozpin sipped his coffee.

When the girls heard that Wilma would be joining them for classes, Ruby held Wilma in a bone crushing hug. Yang patted her hard on her back while Weiss just rolled her eyes. Blake smiled softly.

"So, when's our first class?" Wilma asked.

"Let's see here...aha. Our first class would be Professor Port. We better hurry." Weiss remarked as she closed her scroll.

"All right then. Let's go. Let's not give a bad impression shall we?" Wilma smiled while Gareth chirped in agreement.

**A/N And this chapter is out! If there are any questions, please feel free to ask them! I don't bite. I will be weaving the storyline of the official show into the fanfic, just modifying it to suit the story that I have in mind. Chapters may vary in length but would be about 2 minutes in reading. I'm experimenting with the writing and timing.**


	5. Grim Grimms-Part 1

The students slowly started to stream into the class and settled themselves. Some were still chatting with their friends while others were starting to doze off from the effects of a full lunch. (A/N It feels so nice to take a nap after lunch. XD)

Team RWBY and Wilma had made it just in time before Professor Port came into the classroom. They quickly got themselves seated and waited. A man that looked to be in his fifties soon came into the room. Dressed in a red uniform reminiscent of a general in an army, the grey headed gentleman soon introduced himself as Professor Port while stroking his moustache. Wilma whispered to Ruby, "His name does seem to suit him rather well. Don't you think so?"

Ruby snickered.

Professor Port cleared his throat.

"I will be covering the basics of Grimm and upon graduating from this prestigious academy, you will become Huntsmen or Huntresses, ladies and you all will be very thankful that I, Professor Port had taught you."

Professor Port winked at Yang to which she groaned in displeasure.

"But first let me you a story, a story about a young, handsome man...Me! When I was a boy..."

Great, he's just talking about himself, nothing to do with Grimm...guess I will just try and take down some notes about his encounters with Grimm. Wilma sighed as she reluctantly got out her pen and paper from her weathered sling bag. Gareth slinked his way down to her lap and sat upright, his head resting on the table as he watched Wilma writing. Eyes following Wilma's hand as she finished each stroke.

Ruby, however was not paying attention. Instead, she started to doodle and snickered at her creation, showing it to Blake and Yang, who both laughed. Weiss looked at them, annoyed.

Wilma soon lost interest as she started to doodle, in order to keep herself from nodding off. Gareth turned his head towards Wilma and tilted it. "Is that supposed to be a macho version of Professor Port?"

Wilma chuckled. "Ha-ha. Yup. With the obligatory sparkles. It's just for fun though. Envisioning him in his all his glory. With a luxurious moustache to boot. "

As Ruby nudged Wilma to look at her drawing of "Professor Poop", she noticed her drawing and was awed and taken aback. "Wow, your drawing is much better than mine."

Weiss took a peek at Wilma's drawing and had to admit that it was quite impressive. Ruby continued with her antics as Professor Port finished his story.

"In the end, the Beowolf was no match for my sheer tenacity, and I returned to my village with the beast in captivity and my head held high, celebrated as a hero! The moral of this story? A true Huntsman must be honourable!"

He took a bow as a few claps were heard.

"Thank you very much. Now, take upon these nuggets of wisdom. A true Huntsman must be dependable, well-educated, wise and strategic. So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"

Weiss quickly raised her hand, and exclaimed. "I do, sir!"

"Well, then, let's find out! Step forward and face your opponent!"

**A/N Yeah yeah, there is a reuse of the dialogue from the show itself. The timing of the class is also wrong but of course, I'm modifying it a bit to suit the plot of my fanfic. I hope I portrayed Team RWBY accurately. Trying to play around with set personalities of said characters. I hope my chapters are not too short for your liking. Reviews and critiques are welcome! :)**


	6. Grim Grimms-Part 2

After Weiss had changed into her normal outfit, the cage door of the Grimm opened. Weiss stood opposite the Grimm and got herself ready.

"As I was saying just saying just now, this is a Boarbatusk, it's small fry compared to the rest of the Grimm but still, they can be quite dangerous." Professor Port explained.

Interesting, I will have to take note of its attack patterns. Wilma flipped to another page and started writing notes again. As Weiss was fighting the Boarbatusk, Ruby kept yelling out unneeded advice. Wilma could see the disdain in Weiss's eyes as she continued fighting, dodging a roll attack from the creature by launching herself into the air with an aerial spell.

"Come on Weiss, show it who's boss!" Ruby yelled enthusiastically while waving a small flag. Weiss glared at Ruby before speeding towards the oncoming Boarbatusk, sticking her blade straight at its skull until they met and Myrtenaster got trapped in the beast's tusks. As Weiss struggled to get it out, she was tossed around. The Boarbatusk grunted as it continued to swing Weiss like a ragdoll. It managed to do so and Weiss was flung off to the side.

Wilma's hands started to cramp up after trying to take down as many observational notes as she could. She could see that the creature was starting to tire as Weiss dodged out of its rolling attack once more and managed to get her weapon back. This time, Ruby cupped her hands and shouted, "Go for its belly! There's no armour there!"

As Weiss got back up to her feet, she managed to turn to Ruby during the heat of the battle and shout out. "Stop telling me what to do!" Note to self, Weiss does not like people stating the obvious. Wilma wrote down those last words before missing the impalement of the Boarbatusk. She sighed, she always missed the good stuff. Gareth chirped in delight and hovered in the air. Clapping his paws to congratulate Weiss.

Wilma wonder how her magic tastes like…

Wilma tapped her pen against her chin as she started to drool a bit. Maybe peppermint? Gareth turned to face her and crossed his arms, snorting as he caught her drooling again.

"Thinking about the taste of magic again? Tsk tsk. You were like that when you tried fire magic back home."

"Hehe, yeah…it was good though. Filled up my mana considerably." Wilma wiped her mouth with a tissue that she fished out from her bag.

The Boarbatusk squealed before falling silent. Weiss gasped in relief as she sheathed her weapon before standing up from her exhausted position. She frowned at Ruby.

"Bravo! Bra-vo! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress-in-training! I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings, and... stay vigilant! Class dismissed!"

The students went out of the classroom. Wilma gathered up her books and packed her things. Gareth perched himself on her shoulders as he began to yawn. Wilma stroked his chin as he nuzzled against her neck. She smiled. Gareth always felt sleepy after a fight. She soon caught up to the rest and congratulated Weiss. However, Weiss soon stormed off but not before glaring at Ruby.

"Sheesh, what's wrong with her?" Jaune crossed his arms over his chest as he turned to the remaining members of Team RWBY. Nora, Ren and Pyrrha shrugged their shoulders.

"Wanna get some pancakes?" Nora exclaimed. Ren face-palmed. Jaune and Pyrrha just dragged both of them back to their dormitory. Blake and Yang waved goodbye.

Wilma looked at Ruby running off after Weiss and turned her head towards Blake and Yang.

"Well, I guess I'll look for the library myself?"

"I'll follow you. There's some books I want to check out actually." Blake walked out of the classroom with Wilma following behind her.

"See you guys later!" Yang shouted as she made her way towards the training room.

Wilma and Blake soon arrived at the library.

"Great, I'm sorry Gareth, you can't come in." Wilma picked him off her shoulder as she held him in front of her. Gareth gave her the puppy dog look but she was not falling for it this time. She turned him around to face the sign.

**Under no circumstances are pets, food or weapons allowed into the library.**

**Silence must be maintained and order must be kept**

**That is all**

Gareth snorted. "I am SO not your pet!" He wriggled himself out of her hands and slinked away. "Well, if you put it that way, you _do _treat me more like a pet rather than a familiar…" Wilma gasped.

"How could you say that? You're not just a familiar, but you're my companion too…" her arms akimbo as she huffed. "Although I do remember the time when I fed you those chocolates…" she smiled sheepishly as she scratched her head.

"Well, I shall be off exploring the gardens. I wouldn't want to disturb the rest by loitering around here." Gareth chirped as he walked towards an exit. Well, to Blake it sounded like a mixture of chirps and warbles.

Wilma and Blake headed into the library and found themselves an empty table. Wilma placed her sling bag onto the table as she headed towards the section that she needed to go to.

She traced her index finger lightly onto the shelved books.

"The discovery of Grimm."

"The history of Remnant."

"The many uses of Dust."

"Unlocking your aura."

…

Hmm, these books should do nicely. She piled them up in her arms as she made her way back to the table. Blake had a small pile of books near her and she scooted her chair over to one side as she continued to read her romance novel. Wilma gently placed the books onto the table and wiped her brow.

"Those books sure make a good workout. Hopefully they would be as useful in content." Blake snuck a glance from her book and her eyes widened. She did not really expect to see someone to carry that many books from the reference section. Soon, Wilma placed one of the books in front of her and started. It was leather-bound and its title "The history of Remnant" was embossed in gold. "Time to get reading." She rubbed her hands in glee as she opened the first page. A look of dread soon enveloped the young lady's face. Her eyes lost their twinkle as she closed the cover. Blake chuckled softly. "Nope. Not for me. Next one!"

Eventually, it was almost closing time. Wilma had only managed to go through a third of her chosen books before giving up. Blake nudged the sleeping form lightly. It was a good thing that Wilma had pushed the books in front of her, otherwise, the books would have been stained with her drool. Wilma quickly wiped her mouth with her sleeve and groaned.

"It's closing time. I'll help with the books." Wilma protested as Blake picked up some of the books while Wilma grudgingly carried the rest to the book return station. Wilma grabbed her sling bag and both of them made their way out.

"Crap! I got no place to spend the night! Looks like I'll be sleeping outside under the stars." Wilma stopped in her tracks as Blake turned her head to look back at Wilma. She gave her a quizzical look. "Didn't Professor Ozpin settle the sleeping arrangements?"

Wilma shook her head and looked downwards. Blake frowned and walked towards Wilma.

"Come then, let's go to team RWBY's dorm room. You can sleep there."

"I hope I am not imposing on you guys, I mean come on, I just met you guys. Oh before I forget, I need to call Gareth." Wilma took out her turquoise crystal cylindrical whistle necklace and gently blew through it. A sound that can be described to be akin to a wine glass whistling. Gareth soon arrived, perching himself on Wilma's shoulders.

"You called?"

Blake and Wilma soon made their way back to the dorms. Wilma headed to the showers with her sling bag slung over her shoulders. "I have the things I need here! Don't worry! I always carry them around!" She shouted back towards Blake as she rushed down the hallway. In fact, she hoped that she could go there quickly as she really wanted to get the dirt off her. It was a good thing that her sling bag was enchanted. Hammerspace sure is a useful thing to have!

Meanwhile, Yang had arrived earlier and was now snoring contently in her pyjamas, while Ruby was still studying. Blake headed towards the showers and got herself cleaned up. Soon, Ruby started to feel sleepy and rested her head on her notes. The pile of open books surrounding her added to the atmosphere. Weiss walked in and nodded her head at Ruby's determination. She shook the girl gently and Ruby started to flail in surprise.

"Weiss! I-I was studying, and then I fell asleep! I'm sorry..."

Weiss placed her hand her over Ruby's mouth, indicating the need for silence. She noticed the empty coffee mug and smirked.

"Drinking coffee hmm? How do you like it?"

"I…I don't."

"Just answer the question!"

"Uhh, cream and five sugars!"

"Don't move. I'll get you a new cup."

Soon, the smell of coffee filled the air. Weiss sat next to her on the bed.

"Wilma sure is an interesting Faunus, and Gareth is so cute too." Ruby commented between sips of her coffee. She smiled as she savoured the coffee. "But now that I think about it, what kind of Faunus _is _Wilma actually?" Weiss pondered that question as well.

Blake and Wilma soon made their way back, the latter drying her hair with a towel. They chuckled as Wilma told Blake about the time when Gareth got tangled with a ball of yarn. "Guys, I will be spending the night here so I'll just sleep on the floor. Cool bunk beds by the way."

Ruby gave a thumbs up, while Weiss smiled a genuine smile.

"I always wanted bunk beds as a kid."

Wilma took out a sleeping bag and pillow from her sling bag and laid it down the floor. After that, she hung her towel on a hook behind the door. Weiss, Ruby and Blake looked at each other in shock.

"Where…how do you even?"

Wilma shrugged her shoulders and she laid down. Only two words were uttered before she closed her eyes.

"Magic. Nights."

Gareth curled up beside her and both were soon fast asleep.

The three members just shook their heads in disbelief and went to their respective beds.

**A/N I am so bad at writing fight scenes. But other than that, I hope you enjoy this fic. A fun little project. Anyways, we start to unveil Wilma's identity. Who she is and how she is starting to fit in the story that I am planning. I understand that I might be quite cliché but yeah, I am trying my best. Hopefully I gave everyone enough screen time. _**


	7. Faunus War part 1

Wilma observed the fight between Jaune and Cardin. It was a good thing that Glynda Goodwitch didn't choose her. Gareth sensed her relief and nodded. "It would be troublesome if someone found out your secret."

Wilma agreed. It would definitely be troublesome, especially if it was under the wrong hands.

As the fight went on, Cardin's aura had not dropped much but Jaune's aura had dropped significantly. Before Cardin could land a finishing blow, the buzzer sounded.

"Students, as you can see, Mr Arc's aura has dropped into the red zone and if this was a tournament-styled duel, this would indicate that he is no longer fit for battle and the official may call the match."

Wilma was slightly amused with the fight. It was an educational experience for her on what aura could do.

"Remember, everyone, this Vytal Festival is only a few months away! It won't be long before students from the other kingdoms start arriving in Vale, so keep practising. Those who choose to compete in the combat tournament will be representing all of Vale!"

The bells rings and the students start leaving the auditorium.

"Well. That was pretty...eventful." Wilma stretched her arms as Gareth perched himself on her head. "I'll be heading down to town to check it out. See ya later!"

Wilma waved goodbye to team RWBY. However, Ruby insisted her to join them for lunch. Wilma sighed. "But I haven't explored the town yet!" Ruby pouted. Wilma rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll go after lunch then." The rest of the team grinned.

After a very interesting lunch with team JNPR, Wilma headed out to the city.

"Don't forget about class later!" Weiss shouted.

Wilma acknowledged her with a wave of her hand.

"This city sure is quaint. Don't you think so too, Gareth?"  
>Gareth purred in delight.<p>

"Let's see, Weiss told me about the Dust shop, a "magic" shop. Hopefully it would be sufficient. "  
>Wilma scrolled through her Scroll as she searched for the location.<p>

Eventually, she found the shop. The door opened with the tinkling of a small bell .Smells of magic that she and Gareth alone could sense filled the air of the shop. Wilma's inhaled the intoxicating scents and her mouth watered.

"Welcome to From Dust Till Dawn, how may I help you?"  
>The shopkeeper greeted them kindly. He stole a glance at Gareth.<br>"No pets are allowed miss."

"Him? He's not my pet. He's my familiar. He has been with me for a very long time." Wilma explained.

"I see. Well...I'll make an exception then. Feel free to ask me anything. "

"I'll do that. Thanks. It really means a lot to me. "

Wilma scanned the Dust crystals with curiosity. It was the first time seeing magic being crystallised.  
>With such a variety of Dust, she couldn't help gawking at the selection. It was like being a kid at the candy store. Too many flavours to choose from!<p>

"Excuse me, I require some assistance. I'm currently enrolled at Beacon and I need some help in choosing Dust, I don't really have a big budget too. I really appreciate it if you could help me choose the ones I require. "

The shopkeeper gladly came over and chose 4 of the basic Dust crystals and presented it to her on a velvet tray. Wilma picked each one of them and smelled them. He looked at her weirdly.

She smiled awkwardly and explained how she can tell the quality of magic. He was intrigued. She passed each one to Gareth for his own assessment. In the end, it was actually not too bad. He packed each crystal into their own cylindrical container. But before she could even pay for her purchase, four masked figures barged in.

"Hand over the Dust old man!"

"The White Fang! Dang-nabit! You better run along now miss. They are a violent group."

"Save your breath old man! Now hand over all the Dust!" another masked figure shouted.

"Great...I was just about to pay and enjoy my new snacks and you guys came in. I guess I have to deal with you guys."

Wilma rushed towards one of the masked figure and punched him in the stomach. He was sent crashing towards one of the display cases. The other three rushed towards her but she managed to parry their weapons with her fists. She grabbed one of the thug and flung him toward the window display. The window display shattered and passer-bys were running in fear.  
>"Who's next?"<br>Wilma taunted them as she motioned with her right hand. The last two fled in fear. She shrugged her shoulders as she stepped over broken bits of glass and Dust.

She dusted her hands and exhaled.  
>"That was pretty fun. I didn't even use my full strength." Wilma scratched her head as she surveyed the damage.<p>

"Sorry about your shop... I wish I could do something about it..."

"No no no! It's alright. You managed to stop them. At least not all of my stock is destroyed. Here, let me give you this."

He rummaged through his storeroom and brought out smaller pieces of Dust.

"These are high quality Dust. I can assure you. The process for making these are more stringent and I'm sure you will be able to tell. "He handed her 8 pieces among the 20 crystals. She smelled them and her eyelids fluttered.

"Oh my...these are really good. Thank you do much. I insist on paying for the basic set though. "

She passed him the cash and went on her merry way, stepping over the unconscious form of the intruder. Wilma checked her Scroll and realised she was going to be late for class. She made sure no one was looking and summoned her wings. They were not exactly attached to her back but rather, blue flames that resembled wings. She took to the skies and landed near the classroom.

"Whew! Managed to make it in time." Wilma quickly made her way to the locker rooms.

Glynda Goodwitch was there and gestured towards the lockers.  
>"Each of you will be assigned one rocket-propelled locker to store your weapons and extra armour. Additionally, your locker can be sent to a custom location based on a six-digit code. "<p>

Wilma felt awkward. But nonetheless, she kept quiet. She could use the locker for something else instead. The bell rang and the students vacated the area. Upon seeing an empty locker, Cardin pushed Jaune into it and laughed.

"Hey! Wait wait wait! Don't do it! Don't do it! Please let me out!" Jaune protested, as Cardin inputted a random six digit code.

When Jaune arrived back to the classroom, Pyrrha was concerned.  
>"Jaune, you know if you ever need help, you can just ask."<p>

He shook his head. "Guys, really, it's fine! Besides, it's not like he's only a jerk to me; he's a jerk to everyone. "

Wilma settled herself next to Blake. There was just something about her that was interesting. As she continued to chat with the rest, the laughter from Cardin's group grew louder. Wilma and Blake turned their heads towards the source. Cries of pain soon mixed with the laughter.

"Ow! Stop that!"  
>A girl with rabbit ears grimaced and stopped struggling.<p>

"Please stop..."  
>Cardin laughed at her as he released her ear, turning to his teammates and snickered.<p>

"Told you it was real!"

"What a freak!" one of them exclaimed.

Wilma watched in silence. She got out of her seat and Blake looked at her confused.  
>"I'm changing seats, I want to get to know that student as well." She half-stood and whispered into Blake's ears.<p>

"We "Faunus" should look out for each other right Blake?"

Blake looked at her surprised and was about to run away. However, Wilma gently placed a hand on her shoulder, and winked at her.

"Don't worry, the rest of your team doesn't know."  
>Blake heaved a sigh of relief.<br>"Thanks... I wouldn't know what to do if they find out."

Wilma smiled at her before placing herself next to the bunny-eared girl.

"Hi, I'm Wilma, and you are?"

"...Velvet Scarlatina. You're a Faunus too?"  
>Velvet looked at Wilma's horns and felt at ease.<br>"I guess so." Wilma chuckled.  
>"It's a pleasure to meet you, Wilma."<p> 


	8. Faunus War part 2

**Meanwhile, at the White Fang hideout...****  
><strong>  
>"Wait, so you're telling me you were beaten by an unarmed Faunus?!"<p>

Torchwick was enraged. He grabbed the White Fang member by the collar of his vest as he vented out his anger. A sultry voice soon echoed in the building.

"My my, what have we here?" the clicking of stiletto heels soon stopped. Cinder Fall held onto the railings as she made her entrance through the doorway.

"Ah...Cinder Fall. I didn't expect to see you here. I was just about to question this member about the Dust acquisition. "  
>Torchwick released the member as he finished his sentence.<p>

Cinder Fall descended the stairs and stopped in front of him.

"Never mind that, I would like more information on that Faunus. I've heard that she fell from the sky. "

Torchwick raised his eyebrows but did not argue. After all, he had to follow her orders.

"Umm boss, I also have something to say. The Faunus also had a creature with her. It was unlike anything I've seen. It looked like a winged reptile. "

"That is interesting. Thank you for that information. Looks like that Faunus is something else." Cinder Fall exited the warehouse and went on her way.

**Back at Beacon****  
><strong>  
>"Blah blah blah... Faunus War...Wilma! Pay attention! You need to know this" Wilma shot from her seat.<p>

"S-sorry Sir!" Wilma blushed slightly as she sat back down. Snickering could be heard from Cardin and his cronies. She laid her head back down on the table as she groaned in embarrassment.

"Now, a quick question. Have any among you been subjugated and discriminated because of your Faunus heritage?"

Several hands were raised.

"Dreadful, simply dreadful! Remember, students, it is precisely this kind of violence that breeds violence!" Professor Oobleck took another sip of his coffee.

"I mean, I mean, I mean just look at what happened to White Fang!"

Wilma perked up. So that's the group I beat up today. She continued to listen as she sucked her cherry flavoured fire Dust crystal. She licked her lips as she relished the flavour.

After class ended, she joined up with team RWBY. "Hey guys, what's up?" Wilma continued sucking on the crystal.

Weiss looked at Wilma surprised.  
>"Is that what I think it is?"<br>Wilma stopped sucking on the crystal as she glanced at the crystal and back at Weiss.  
>"Yup. It's a Dust crystal. Well, it's more like crystallised magic. It's tasty though. I enjoy eating magic as well. "<p>

Team RWBY looked at each other, unsure of a response. Ruby cleared her throat.

"Wait. So you're a Faunus who eats magic?"

Wilma shrugged her shoulders.

"That is so cool! So like when someone uses a Dust based attack, you are able to eat the magic?"

"When you put it that way... I guess so. Although it really depends. If their weapon is laced with Dust, obviously I can't eat their weapon. That would be ridiculous. There are limits, you know. "

As team RWBY and Wilma continued walking towards the dorms, Wilma began to ponder.

"I actually fought off some White Fang members today. They were trying to steal Dust. I'm like what's up with that?" She bit off small pieces of Dust as she swallowed them.

She dug out another piece of Dust crystal and gave it to Gareth.

"Well, it has been going on for quite a while, the Schnee Dust Company has had a bad history with the White Fang. "

"It's obvious these problems are due to controversial labour forces and questionable business partners." Blake nonchalantly answered.

Wilma could feel the tension between Weiss and Blake rise.  
>"Err...guys, take a chill pill. I didn't know that Weiss owned the company." Wilma managed to calm the two down.<p>

"Actually, I'm an heiress to the company. My father owns it. "

Wilma widened her eyes as she took another small chunk of the crystal.

"No way. That is pretty cool. Being part of a company supplying Dust. It's like a giant buffet for me, if I ever work at the factory. "  
>Wilma laughed.<p>

"How can you eat Dust? It's totally inedible and I bet there's no taste to it. Besides, won't your teeth hurt?" Yang spoke up.

The gang reached the room as they sat on their beds.

Wilma chuckled. She swallowed the last remaining piece of Dust. She smiled.

"That's a secret. "

"Must be a Faunus thing then." Blake answered.

Wilma pondered for a while before nodding her head.

"I'm going to go back to the Emerald Forest to check the area where I landed. "

"Be careful, the Grimm are dangerous creatures, Wilma." Ruby placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks Ruby. But I'll be fine. "

Wilma went out of the room and checked her Scroll for directions.

She soon arrived at the Emerald forest. The sun was starting to set but Wilma was not worried at all. Besides, Gareth was able to fight by her side.

The sound of insects chirping broke the silence of the forest. Wilma became distracted by the greenery surrounding her. Gareth tugged on her hair gently and reminded her to find the landing spot.

She grudgingly followed Gareth as he flied toward the direction of her landing spot. There were some scratches on the trees and some branches were broken. The debris from the fight had been covered up by fallen leaves.

The corpse of the Deathstalker was still there, although it was now an empty husk. However, flora and fauna flourished. Wilma scanned the surrounding area, looking for anything that she may use.

"There seems to be high traces of magic leftover here Gareth. I better collect it in case it gets into the wrong hands. "

Gareth nodded as he flew around the area, in a very distinct pattern. Wilma sniffed the air, the faint essence of aura lingered in the air. As Gareth collected the remaining magic, there was a growl.

Wilma saw some red glowing eyes through the trees. She adopted a defensive stance and got ready. Blue flames engulfed her body. She wasn't taking any chances; large numbers of Grimm were usually more active towards the night. She would get more injured if she were in her normal form.

As soon as the blue flames died down, what came out was neither Faunus nor human. But a creature only spoken in the legends of Remnant.

She towered slightly over the trees, her pearly scales reflecting the sun's rays. She stretched her wings, flexed her claws as she arched her back slightly. Her horns were larger and more wickedly curved.

"That feels really good. Now let's deal with this Grimm problem here."  
>Soon, a pack of Beowolves started to attack Wilma and Gareth. Wilma snorted as she batted one Beowolf as it tried to come too near. Two Beowolves got onto her back from behind and started to scratch and bite her.<p>

She roared and birds flew off the trees. Several Ursulas also attacked her. But she exhaled and blue flames came out. It burned and froze the surrounding trees. The Ursulas continued to attack but the smart ones fled. The not so smart ones perished.

Only frozen ashes remained.

It was now night time. Wilma didn't find anything useful. She returned to her normal form and flew back to the dorms. She was exhausted. It had been quite a while since the last time she'd used that form.

She yawned tiredly as she passed by the dorm room.  
>"Hey Wilma! Found anything from the forest?" Ruby looked up from her card game with Yang as she approached Wilma.<p>

"Hmm? No... I didn't. Guess I'm stuck here for good. "

Wilma scratched her head as she got rid of some twigs in her hair. She laughed as she saw Ruby puzzled at her attire. "What, exactly happened to you?"

"Haha. Eh, there was some Ursulas and a pack of Beowolves attacking me so I fought them off. "

"With your bare hands?!" Yang perked up as she rushed next to Ruby.  
>"Well...how should I put it...I guess so. I didn't even have to move much. Just a swipe here and a swipe there..." Wilma gestured with her hands. "Although some Beowolves did manage to get onto my back..."<p>

Blake looked up from her book.  
>"Your uniform is here by the way."<p>

Weiss squeezed between Yang and Ruby. She looked as shocked as Yang and Ruby. "What?!" They shouted in unison.

"Guys. Calm down. I'll explain tomorrow. I need to shower. "


	9. Red sap- Organic pancake syrup

The very next day, Wilma and the rest of the students gathered at Forever Fall, a forest unlike the Emerald Forest that Wilma was used to. Forever Fall was true to its name—the leaves of the trees had the colours of Fall. Wilma was fascinated in how they managed to keep their colours. She plucked several leaves and kept them. The rest of the students were also awed by the scenery, but their attention was cut short by Glynda Goodwitch's announcement.

"As Professor Peach is unable to join us today, your task is to collect red sap in these jars that I will hand out soon. Be careful and be alert, this area is a favourite place for the Grimm too. We will meet here again after all jars are filled. That is all from me. Good luck students!"

As she handed out each jar to each team, Wilma asked for two extra jars. The teams soon went on their way. Wilma sniffed the air, she smelled something sweet and followed it. As she reached the spot, she bumped into team RWBY.

"Oh hey guys. What's up?"

"Nothing much, I think the red sap is—hey! Tell me what happened yesterday!"

Ruby shook Wilma gently. "I was so worried! You didn't tell us yesterday and as the leader of team RWBY, I demand an explanation."

Weiss rolled her eyes and folded her arms.

"Yeaah, tell us!" Yang patted Wilma on the back.

Wilma ruminated and smiled sheepishly.

"Let's just focus on the task at hand and collect the sap shall we?"

Blake nodded and pulled Ruby away from Wilma.

She felt uneasy telling them now, besides it was best to be kept secret–for now, at least.

As they each filled up their jars, Wilma wiped the extra sap off the rim with her finger and tasted it.

"Are you sure it's edible?" Weiss asked, looking unsure.

Wilma nodded. It was sweet as honey and vicious as syrup. She filled up the remaining two jars.

"I bet it would go great with pancakes!"

After each member finished filling up the jars, Gareth's ears perked up.

"There's a buzzing sound coming our way." Wilma translated to the girls.

"Rapier Wasps! We better go before they attack!" Blake exclaimed.

They quickly vacated the area.

Meanwhile, in another part of Forever Fall…

Jaune was getting beaten up by Cardin. Apparently, he refused to carry out Cardin's plan of revenge against Pyrrha. As Jaune had managed to break the jar on Cardin's armour, he was now fighting for his life.

"I'll get you for this! I'll break all your bones and send them back to your momma in pieces!"

Cardin punched Jaune and at that moment, he unconsciously blocked it with his aura. Cardin was grunting in pain and Jaune stood up, pleased. However, that was soon cut short when Sky Lark landed a jump kick on Jaune's back.

However, to make matters worse, the scent of the red sap soon attracted an Ursa Major. Jaune turned slowly and came face to face with it. He gulped. The rest of Cardin's team fled and Jaune contemplated on whether he should save Cardin. He shrugged his shoulders as he prepared himself against the Ursa Major.

**Back with Team RWBY**

"What was that noise?"

Wilma looked confused.

"Uh-oh, I think someone's in trouble! That was an Ursa Major! And it looks like it came from that direction!"

Ruby pointed towards the source and waved her teammates to follow her.

"Let's go!"

Yang pounded her fists together. When they arrived, Jaune and his team were putting up a fight with the Ursa Major. Wilma was surprised that he managed to hold his own ground quite well.

"We're coming!" Wilma shouted as she sprinted towards the Ursa Major. She transformed her arm into her preferred weapons and launched herself with a burst of blue flames onto the Ursa Major's back. She started to swing her claws wildly as she clung onto its back. It howled in pain as it tried to shake her off. As it was about to swing downwards, she leapt off its back and recovered herself. The rest of the teams went in for the kill. Soon enough, the Ursa Major collapsed, defeated as it let out one last howl. Satisfied, Wilma relaxed and stretched her arms and dismissed her power.

"That was more fun than I had expected. Well, let's get back now shall we?" Wilma suggested as she turned to face the rest of the teams.

"What was that?! Your arms turned into some wicked claws, is that how you fight?"

Ruby seemed to hop excitedly around Wilma as they were walking back to the meeting point.

"Well…not exactly. That is just one trick up my sleeve. But it works as much. Extra armour in order words."

Ruby nodded, impressed as she stroked an imaginary beard.

"I can't wait to fight you!" Yang exclaimed as she placed her hands on Wilma's shoulders.

"We shall see."

"Hey Nora! Wanna make pancakes? I got some extra red sap!" Wilma shook the extra jars she took out of her bag as they reached the meeting point.

"Hell yeah!" Nora fist bumped Wilma.

**A/N Pretty "short" chapter. As per usual, I am not really good with fight scenes. Review and enjoy!**

**The climax has only just begun…**

**Will team RWBY find out what Wilma really is? Stay tuned for the next chapter!**

**Thanks for reading! P.S I know the plot is very similar to the show itself, but there will definitely be a turning point.**

**(I was thinking of having Wilma sever the limbs of the Ursa Major or the head, been playing Freedom Wars a little too much maybe? Haha. PM me if you wanna play some FW together. XD)**


	10. Truth hurts

Wilma checked the alarm clock above her head. 5.00AM. Good, enough time for her to make pancakes for everyone. She unzipped her sleeping bag carefully so as to not wake Gareth. When it comes to food preparation, it was always a mess if Gareth helped. She scribbled a quick note and placed it on the alarm clock. She checked her Scroll for updates and was glad that it was a day off for the students. She got out her apron from her bag and wore it, covering her singlet and her heart print boxers. Tying her hair up in a rough bun, she was ready. She opened the door gently and left the room. Blake shifted in her sleep.

The smell of pancakes soon wafted into the dorm room of team RWBY. Ruby stirred in her sleep as she started to drool, she murmured and was the first to be awake. "So it was really pancakes! Glad I wasn't dreaming about it!" She gently shook Yang awake and whispered in her ears. "There's pancakes for breakfast." Yang woke up and grinned. Soon, Weiss and Blake woke up too.

"Let's surprise Wilma!"

Four of them crept up on Wilma's sleeping bag, looking at each other slyly and following Ruby's countdown.  
>"3…2…1! Wake up Wil—!"<p>

Only to find out that Gareth was still sleeping. He growled and closed his eyes but not before opening them up and sniffing the air. He soon chirped happily and hovered in the air. They looked wordlessly at each other before realising that there was a note attached to the alarm clock.

**Went to the dorm kitchen to make pancakes, meet me at the common area.**

**~Wilma **

Shrugging their shoulders, they went to the common room, only to see the rest of team JNPR happily eating the pancakes, especially Nora. Wilma was there making small talk, her apron lightly covered with powdered sugar.

"My dreams have finally been realised!"

Len chuckled as Nora added three more pancakes to her plate. They were laughing and making merry.

"Hey guys! I made extra as I heard that Ruby loves sweet things. I also learned that Nora had been craving pancakes as well."

Ruby smiled sheepishly as Yang chuckled. They soon joined the rest.

After a satisfying breakfast, all of them went to get ready for the day. Weiss insisted that they should visit the docks to welcome the students from Vacuo on the behalf of Beacon Academy. "As if, you're just checking out the competition right?" Blake rolled her eyes.

"S-so what if I am? We are still welcoming them aren't we?" Weiss responded, blushing slightly.

Wilma stifled a laugh. As they approached the docks, Ruby noticed that the windows of a nearby Dust shop had been shattered. Two police detectives were at the scene, taking down notes as they interviewed the shopkeeper.

"They only took the Dust and not Lien, which I found very strange."

"Hmm…Interesting sir, I believe the White Fang must have gotten to your shop during the night."

"Large amounts of Dust…Lien left untouched. That's the same thing that happened to that other shop!" Wilma approached the two police detectives and gave them her information.

"The White Fang? Hmph. What a bunch of degenerates!" Weiss mumbled under her breath as she folded her arms. Blake overheard and her ears twitched in anger (thankfully, it was hidden).

"They are just misguided, maybe they just don't understand that what they are doing is wrong?" Blake calmly retorted.

Both of them soon got into a heated argument. Wilma gently pushed them away from each other.

"Ladies, let's not get into a catfight shall we?" She winked at Blake.

Weiss snorted as she explained to Wilma about why she disliked the Faunus so much. Wilma kept quiet, nodding her head as she listened. Just as Weiss was finishing her conversation with Wilma, a figure soon rushed by them, winking at Blake.

"You stow away! Get back here!"

"He looks like a competitor, let's follow him!"

"All right. We'll split up, it'll make things easier." Wilma shouted as she sped off one way, Gareth another and the rest chose their own directions. However, they soon lost the figure. Wilma sighed, and shrugged her shoulders. They would eventually find him if he were actually a participant. She soon bumped into Ruby.

"Hey Ruby, did you see a guy with a tail?"

She shook her head but introduced Wilma to Penny. Wilma acknowledged Penny and introduced herself. The sun was soon setting and the girls decided to go back to the dorms. Weiss made more extreme comments about the mysterious Faunus and infuriated Blake further. Wilma sighed and rubbed her temple in frustration. However, when things seemed to calm down, and Wilma was about to enter the room, Blake rushed out of the room, bumping into Wilma. Wilma got a glimpse of her panicked face and rubbed her sore arm. She was annoyed but nonetheless questioned Weiss. Weiss grumbled under her breath and reluctantly told Wilma that Blake unintentionally revealed herself to be a former member of the White Fang and thus revealing her true self. Nonetheless, Wilma nodded her head and chased after Blake with a speed that was akin to Ruby's semblance.

She soon caught up to Blake and tapped her shoulder lightly as she was removing her ribbon. Blake turned around in surprise, clutching the ribbon in her hands and biting her lips. Her eyes were downcast and was about to run off again. Wilma stopped her and squeezed her shoulder gently, reassuring her that everything would be alright. Blake gently pried her hands off and smiled albeit forced.

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine. I'm managed to hide my true self for a long time, it's not easy but it makes me feel more secure knowing that no one knows about it."

"Don't lie. I can see it written all over your face, well actually, your ears. Besides, I knew you were a Faunus all along." Wilma chuckled. Blake's ears perked up when hearing that.

"R-right. I forgot about that… That's why I hide them. Heh…"

Wilma smiled sadly.

"Too bad it's difficult for me…but I've learnt to embrace them, now that I'm in this world, I don't have to worry too much about it." Wilma perked up as Blake smiled genuinely.

"Say…can I touch them?" Wilma held out a hand tentatively as Blake took a moment to nod. This was a weird request.

"Wow…they are real and soft…" Unbeknownst to Blake, she started to purr under Wilma's caress. She blushed and had her eyes closed as Wilma chuckled.

"Hey ladies~ what's up?"

Blake's ears swivelled to the source of the sound as Wilma looked surprised. As the figure approached, it was the same person that Weiss had been chasing that day!

"You! What are you doing here?! You know how much I had to run around just looking for you?! Hmph…" Wilma's folded her arms as little puffs of smoke exited her nostrils.

"Relax. I'm here right now. I'm not running away. By the way, name's Sun. Sun Wukong. You look better without the bow."

Blake blushed but under the night lit sky, it wasn't as obvious. Wilma smirked.

"Well, looks like a date to me." She playfully nudged Blake who looked annoyed.

"You're coming with me Wilma. Then it won't be a date."

"W-wait! Wouldn't that be a th –!?" Wilma's mouth was quickly covered by Blake's free hand.

**A/N Sorry this chapter took a long time! I was quite busy, had a little bit of writer's block but nonetheless, I'm on track. Review if you want. I don't bite. I have no problems with critiques, they help me be a better writer. Enjoy the rest of the story.**


	11. Secrets revealed

Saturday. A day to relax. Blake, Sun and Wilma met up at the cafe that was accessible and yet discreet. Wilma acquiesced to Blake's decision of keeping the venue a secret from the rest of her team. Gareth had decided to be lazy that day and stayed back at the dorms, in the end, he ended up exploring the school grounds with Weiss. She was secretly happy when Gareth decided to follow her. 

**Earlier that day…**  
>"Since I'm going out with Blake today for tea or coffee, Gareth would be staying at the dorms, I guess I could trust that he will be taken care off?" Wilma petted him on his head as she looked at the remaining three members.<p>

They huddled together and duked it out with rock-paper-scissor. After beating Ruby with scissors, Weiss smirked. Ruby was too eager. She then beat Yang with rock.

"Yes! I get to take care of him!" she yelled triumphantly. Her fists punching the air. She did a little victory dance and blushed when she realised that the rest of the team and Wilma were trying not to laugh. Blake and Sun were already on their way to the café leaving Wilma behind to sort Gareth out first. After she had sorted out Gareth, Wilma bade Weiss and the rest goodbye and went to the city.

**At the café…**

"So, you want to know more about me?" Wilma sipped her coffee and nodded at Blake. Sun reclined and stretched out his arms. "Sure, why not? It's not like we have anything to talk about is there?" He leaned forward again. "Actually, there is. Why don't you tell me more about yourself too Wilma?" Wilma bit her bottom lip and averted his gaze. She considered his request and smirked.

"Have you heard of the White Fang Sun?"

"The White Fang? Of course I have! I don't think there's a Faunus on this planet who hasn't heard about them? Those freaks, doing whatever they please with violence if you ask me."

Blake and Wilma listened to his ranting while sipping their drinks. Blake closed her eyes and exhaled.

"I was once a member of the White Fang."

"What?!"

Sun and Wilma were shocked, Sun choking on his tea and had to have Wilma pat his back.

"That's right, I was a member for most of my life, actually. You could almost say I was born into it..." Blake continued,"Back then, things were different. In the ashes of war, the White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity between Humans and the Faunus." She paused, taking another sip of her coffee. Wilma ordered a parfait and a cup of green tea.

"Of course, despite being promised equality, the Faunus were subjected to discrimination and hate. Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings. And so, the White Fang rose up as the voice of our people. And I was there."

"I was at the front of every rally. I took part in every boycott. I actually thought we were making a difference. But I was just a youthful optimist."

"Then, five years ago, our leader stepped down, and a new one took his place. A new leader, with a new way of thinking."

"Suddenly, our peaceful protests were being replaced with organized attacks. We were setting fire to shops that refused to serve us, hijacking cargo from companies that used Faunus labor. And the worst part was, it was working. We were being treated like equals. But not out of respect... out of fear."

Blake paused, letting the information sink into Sun and Wilma.

"So, I left. I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence, and instead, I would dedicate my life to becoming a Huntress. So here I am: a criminal hiding in plain view, all with the help of a little black bow."

"So now you understand why I can't reveal my identity to the others."

Wilma nodded while spooning a mouthful of her parfait. "I see... If it was me, it would definitely be difficult, trying to hide my horns all the time with my hood, heck if I wanted to hide them completely, I would have worn a top hat or something tall enough to conceal them. But I have to agree with you, you just thought what you did was right. Everyone I seem to meet believes what they are doing is for the greater good. But the most important thing is that you did change, don't let your past get you. It won't do you any good. Just take it as an experience, I know I have…" Wilma stirred her parfait absentmindedly.

"So…you never told your friends about this?"

Sun looked at Blake who averted his gaze as she lowered her head in shame.

"So what about you Wilma? What _dark_ ~ secrets do you have?"

Turning to Wilma, he smiled cheekily.

Wilma simply rolled her eyes at him. She sighed.

"Have you ever seen a 'Faunus' like me before?" She gestured to her horns, as she air quoted the word Faunus. Blake found it strange that Wilma still did not refer herself as a Faunus even though she was considered to be one.

Sun nodded his head albeit confused. His tail curled, seemingly resembling a question mark. "I have seen some horned Faunus before although those Faunus don't really have curved horns like yours. What kind of Faunus are you?"

"Actually, now that you mention it, I would like to know as well. You didn't really tell us when you were better after you fell from the sky."

"Wait, you fell from the sky?" Sun was baffled. He had never heard of a Faunus falling from the sky as well.

Wilma nodded and laughed sheepishly.

"Yeah… I landed on a Deathstalker so that cushioned my fall. Although it died instantly. Heheh…"

"Well…have you ever heard about…dragons?"

"D-dragons?" Both seemed to be fearful.

"Don't worry, I won't eat you." Wilma laughed.

"That's the type of Faunus I am. I didn't really want to tell you as I felt that it would cause a commotion back at school. If word gets out, I may be in trouble, or not." She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess you could say that people may be _very _interested in me…if they did find out." She shuddered at that thought. "Besides, that would be my last minute resort. It does drain a lot of my energy though, I don't really use it that often. I'll have to replenish my energy with magic." Wilma took out her packet of Dust crystals and snacked on a blue one which tasted like blueberries. Sun looked stunned at her crunching the Dust crystal, what a strange Faunus, he mused.

"You know what? I think we should check out the docks tonight, I heard that there's going to be shipment of Dust from Atlas tonight." Sun suggested. "Besides, maybe we might be able to see if they are truly behind the Dust robberies."

"All right then. I do find it strange that they need that much Dust, they never needed that much before." Wilma agreed and stretched her arms. "I did stop a Dust robbery, but they didn't take any Dust but still, I would like to confirm with my own eyes. It feels like they are trying to power up something. A weapon of mass destruction?" She mused.

Blake rubbed her chin. "Perhaps, it seems plausible, you would need a large amount of Dust to do that anyway. Although I was in the White Fang, I'm not very sure what they are up to now…"

Wilma faced Sun and Blake, nodding her head as she changed her gaze from them. She placed her hand above the table. Blake and Sun needed no words. They did the same and removed their hands. "All right then, operation Dust buffet starts tonight!"

"Dust buffet? Seriously? What kind of name is that?" Sun laughed.

Wilma blushed. "W-well, it's kinda like a buffet for me…haha."

Blake rolled her eyes at both of them. "How about we don't call it anything alright?"

"Fine. We'll meet at the docks when the shipment arrives. Maybe we can catch the White Fang in the act?"

"Should we let the rest know about our plans?"

Blake shook her head. "This is something I have to face. I don't want to drag the others into the White Fang's business…"

**Meanwhile back at the dorms…**

"Haha! Catch this Gareth!" Weiss tossed a berry into the air and Gareth shifted his head to catch it in his mouth. For the past 10 minutes, Weiss, Ruby and Yang were taking turns tossing berries into Gareth's mouth and seeing who could score the most. In the end, they ran out of red berries and Weiss emerged the victor. Some of the berries were strewn on the floor, while others were squashed. Weiss shouted in triumph. Yang shrugged her shoulders as she got a mop to clean up the mess. Looking up at the clock, Ruby leaned the broom against the wall. She scratched her head, wondering why Wilma hadn't replied to her on her Scroll. The last message she received was 20 minutes ago , about having dinner with Blake and to go on ahead without her. After cleaning up the mess, Ruby,Weiss and Yang went out of the dorms to have a little fresh air. "You coming with us Gareth?" He nodded excitedly, happy to be back with Wilma. He flew to Weiss's shoulder and perched himself there. He nuzzled against Weiss's neck. "Aww…he's taken a liking to you~" Ruby smirked. Weiss dismissed her comment with a wave of her free hand. "Eh, it's nothing much. Hahah."

The rest of team RWBY strolled around the city, doing some window shopping as well. By the time they finished window shopping and enjoying their free time, it was getting late. They decided to go to a nearby restaurant and try their dishes. Ruby's Scroll then buzzed to life and she placed her fork down to read the message. _I won't be getting back to the dorms any time soon, as I have some things to settle with Blake. Hopefully, it would not take very long. Tell Weiss to inform Gareth to not worry about me, he is quite insistent on staying by my side all the time. I can take care of myself. –Wilma_

"Looks like Wilma is still settling things with Blake, _Weiss_." Weiss looked at Ruby indignantly. "What? It's not my fault that she ran off, we could have talked about it but no, she just ran off…but I guess it's just because I had a bad experience with the White Fang during my childhood…the expectations from the family business…" Weiss sighed as Yang gently patted her back. "Hey, it's alright, you just had to have the time to reflect about what you said."

Ruby nodded and after they had paid the bill and left the restaurant. "Perhaps we may find them here, it's not like Wilma and Blake would have gone back right?

Yang nodded. "Besides, the night is still young! Let's party!" She grinned at Ruby and continued. "I mean, let's walk a bit, and enjoy the scenery right? It's still Saturday night and there's no school tomorrow." Yang chuckled. As they continued to stroll around, they bumped into Penny. "Oh hey Penny, didn't see you there. What are you doing here?" Ruby questioned. Penny looked at Ruby surprised. "Oh do forgive me, I am Penny. Are these your friends as well Ruby?" Ruby looked at Weiss and Yang who both raised their eyebrows. "Haha, that's right, although Yang here is my sister, so she isn't my friend." She gestured to Yang who shook Penny's extended hand. "Your sister?" Penny glanced at Yang and shifted her gaze back to Ruby. "I don't see any resemblance…are you sure she's not your friend?" Ruby knitted her eyebrows as she tried to find an answer to Penny's question. "I hate to break this conversation up but we got more important things to do. We should find Blake and Wilma before it gets too late."

Yang reminded Ruby as she placed a hand on her shoulder. Ruby heaved a sigh of relief.

"Right, let's go find them."

"May I come as well? Four people would be better than three." Ruby looked at Weiss who gave a look that seemed to imply 'Don't look at me, you're the leader.'

"All right then, it's settled. Let's go."

**At the docks**

"All right, got a visual on that guy. I'm going to take a closer look." Wilma whispered to Blake and Sun. Her eyes scanned the warehouse and the shipment of Dust that came in. An aircraft carrier of some sort landed and members of the White Fang alighted, including an unfamiliar figure with a mop of bright red hair styled to stick upwards. He seemed to be swinging his cane nonchalantly and whistling a merry tune until it was cut short by several orders barked out. "Hurry up, we're not the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves right now, so why don't you animals pick up the pace?"

"Yes boss!" shouted one of them albeit sounding forced.

"This isn't right. The White Fang would never work with a Human. Especially not one like that." Blake unsheathed her weapon as she went off the edge of the roof.

"Blake! What are you doing?!" Wilma hissed, quickly following her. Sun's words were taken right out. As Blake exposed her cover, Wilma silently cursed. She hid behind a container as Blake undid her bow.

"Brothers of the White Fang, why are you aiding this scum?" She scanned her surroundings, noticing their confusion.

Wilma facepalmed, but held her position, waiting for the right moment to strike. Sun crouched next to her, weapon in hand. "Should we help her?" He whispered. Wilma shook her head, it was not the right time. The man continued his little speech.

"Woah there little lady, didn't you get the memo?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together!" He dramatically waved his arms in a sweeping motion.

"Tell me what it is or I'll put an end to your little operation." She snarled, gripping her weapon tightly.

Suddenly, the air was filled with more turbines blowing the wind wildly around the holdup.

Roman smirked.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a _little_ operation..."

He then took this opportunity to fire his cane at Blake's feet.

"Now!" Wilma shouted as she quickly knocked the nearest White Fang to his feet.

"What the…"

The White Fang members soon had to deal with Wilma and Sun.

"What was that noise?" Ruby turned her head and saw that the explosion had come from the docks. "Oh no!"

The rest of team RWBY hurried to the docks, hoping that their fears weren't true. Luckily, they arrived just in time to aid Wilma, Blake and Sun.

"Hey, isn't that the guy we were chasing the other day..." Weiss remarked as she fought off several White Fang members with her rapier in quick succession. "More action, less talk!" Yang shouted as she blocked off a few punches from a White Fang member who took her momentary distraction to his advantage. Yang finished him off with an uppercut. Gareth found Wilma and perched on her shoulder, chirping happily. "Glad to see you too Gareth! Let's do this!" Gareth roared as he fought alongside her, burning the pants of several White Fang members who got too near to her. Ruby quickly incapacitated several members with her scythe, swinging it in an arch. As Blake was busy fighting with Roman, he managed to dodge several of her shadows which she released as she tried to overcome him in numbers. He fired several shots from his cane and managed to hit Blake. She was tossed aside and landed near a container that was above her. Roman laughed evilly as Sun quickly attacked him with his staff, although he was only able to land two hits. He was also knocked to one side. "Is that really the best that you got kitty and monkey?" Roman mocked. He aimed his cane at the rope holding the container above her and fired. Blake's eyes widened with fear as she willed herself to get up and going but her legs felt like lead. As the container came crashing down, time seemed to slow down. Blake opened her eyes and was shocked to see a creature with pearly scales holding up the container. "You alright Blake?"

Blake nodded dumbfounded, her eyes wide with fear. Wilma chuckled, placing the container gently to one side. Flexing her fingers as she got ready for the fight that was to come. Feeling desperate after realising that the tables were turned, some of the White Fang members who had not alighted the aircraft carrier started to fire the machine gun bolted to the floor of the carrier towards Wilma, Blake and Sun. The bullets rained down hard but Wilma used her wings to quickly shield Blake and Sun from them, enraged with pain, she let loose a fireball towards the turbines, which quickly froze on impact. The turbines started to fail and the members threw themselves into the sea, some were not so lucky. The fight continued on, Penny disabling another carrier with her mechanized swords, Ruby slicing away with her scythe, Yang punching her way through the ranks and Weiss causing Dust explosions.

"Retreat! I repeat retreat!" Roman couldn't believe that he was getting owned by kids. He quickly pushed his way through to the last remaining carrier and hopped on.

Wilma knocked several members with a swing of her tail, some of them just ran when they saw her, screaming in fear as they did so. Her laugh resonated across the docks. "Yes! Tremble in fear peons! Hahaha!" She caught her breath as the last remaining member vacated the area. She de-transformed and dropped to her knees panting. Her back bleeding where the bullets had grazed her wings. She soon fell forward.

"Wilma!" Blake quickly rushed to her aid and carried her bridal style to safety. The rest of team RWBY were still getting over the shock of Wilma turning into something they've only heard of in legends.

_Dragon…_

The sounds of police sirens could be heard and Wilma weakly told Blake not to worry about her and implored that she was taken back to the dorms instead. Blake shook her head fervently. "You are bleeding badly, you have to go to the hospital. But I understand you may have your reasons, so I shall respect that." Wilma sighed a relief. "Thank you…Blake." Gareth was shocked and hovered around Wilma frantically. "I'll be fine silly, just need to be bandaged and healed up that's all." She replied softly, her voice almost a whisper. The aftermath of the fight ended well, some White Fang member surrendered, some were pretty scarred for life and the bloody remains of the White Fang members were cleaned up. Wilma was brought back to the dorms to the nurse's office where she was cleaned and bandaged up. Her breathing was slow and soft, but steady. Blake sat in the chair next to her bed as she watched her recuperate. The rest of team RWBY were behind her. Sun was waiting outside as he didn't want to intrude.

"That was something really unexpected. I'm glad that we have Wilma on our side, we can beat up more Grimm easily." Yang whispered to Ruby. Ruby nodded. She could already imagine the advantages that Wilma could bring for team RWBY and Beacon Academy in general. Weiss folded her arms as she leant against the wall. She had more respect for Wilma as a Faunus. "Blake… I'm sorry for my outburst against the Faunus and especially you as a former White Fang member. I had some time to reflect over my behaviour, so, will you forgive me?" Blake turned to face Weiss and smiled softly. "I do." She placed her hand over Wilma's hand, squeezing it gently. "Thank's for saving my life… I would be a goner if you didn't. I was doubting on whether I should atone for my sins right there and then, but I remembered my goal to be a huntress no matter who I am." Although Blake's words reached deaf ears, Wilma heard it. "Let's not disturb her anymore." Blake and the others quietly left the room as she introduced Sun and recounted the conversation to the rest, (leaving out the part where they decided to have a stakeout) as they walked through the hallways.

**At some non-descript warehouse…**

. Roman Torchwick was still getting over the fact that it was indeed the same Faunus who stopped the Dust robbery. She fit the description exactly, except for the fact that she was a dragon! A dragon that was only spoken in legends! He was pacing around the room muttering and shaking his head in disbelief. It was only the sound of stiletto heels that broke him out of his reverie. "Ah…Cinder! Didn't see you there. Haha!" As she approached him, she was not too pleased.

"How very disappointing, Roman."

Her hand was raised but she decided against it. Lowering her hand, she asked.

"So what about _her_?"

"She is _definitely _not an ordinary Faunus, it seems. She transformed into a creature before my eyes. A creature only spoken in legends. Are you sure it's worth the risk?"

"Of course, dear Roman, anything that assures victory is worth the risk. Find a way to separate her and her friends. It is only a matter of time before she joins us."

Roman bowed as he left the warehouse. Cinder's footsteps soon became softer.

An _interesting_ Faunus indeed. All I need now is a …little cooperation from her. Cinder mused as she interlocked her fingers and smiled evilly.

**A/N Finally finished writing the last chapter for the first arc. "Innocence" Hope you guys enjoyed it! Also, this chapter is pretty long for a reason. XD Anyways, reviews are always welcome. Enjoy the rest of "Forging a new future" when the updates come. **


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